Develop best management practices to assist small-scale urban growers with limited resources in enhancing productivity, profitability & environmental sustainability

This $1,000,000 Project Grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service (CFDA 10.902 Soil and Water Conservation) to East Texas A&M University. The purpose of this 2-year grant, awarded on October 1, 2024, is to develop best management practices to assist small-scale urban growers with limited resources in enhancing productivity, profitability, and environmental sustainability.

The grant includes a $XXX,XXX sub-award to Texas A&M AgriLife Research to evaluate the interaction of irrigation scheduling and nitrogen fertilizer rates on yield, biomass and nutrient accumulation, nitrate leaching, irrigation water use efficiency, nitrogen use efficiency, root distribution and quality attributes of spring-grown tomato and bell pepper crops on the clay and silt loam soils found in Dallas County. This research will support the development of practices to help small urban growers in the region improve their operations.